1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to articles of furniture and in particular to tables having a novel leg construction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tables, chairs and other furniture products which are made of wood provide for a warm residential appearance -- even if used as office furniture. Metal tables and chairs can be extremely functional and durable by virtue of the strength characteristics imparted by metal but do not create the warm ambience provided by wood. Wood, on the other hand, does not necessarily provide adequate strength for chairs and tables which can be routinely subjected to extreme wear and tear, especially in the workplace. It has been recognized in the furniture industry that the attributes of wood and metal can be combined into a single article of furniture such as a chair.
For instance, a chair comprising a combination of metal and wooden members is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,224 to Leib, issued Aug. 7, 1990. This patent discloses a chair supported by two wooden side members, each of which forms a front leg, an armrest, a rear leg and a bottom runner. Each front leg has a rectangular metal post mounted therein which is inset from an inside face of the front leg. A wooden panel or plate can be placed over the rectangular metal post to conceal the rectangular post in the wooden front leg.
There have been other attempts in the furniture industry to provide a table or chair leg with a reinforcing member and a decorative cover to conceal the reinforcing member. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,211 to Begin et al., issued Nov. 5, 1974, discloses a wooden table or chair leg having a shallow longitudinal recess for receiving a reinforcing member which comprises a bundle of glass fibers bound with resin. Begin et al. disclose that a facing of ornamental configuration can be molded directly onto the furniture leg in order to conceal the reinforcing member. It would be preferable if the reinforcing member were made of metal to provide for a stronger construction, and if an ornamental facing would not have to be molded over the reinforcing member to conceal the reinforcing member.